Outboard motor theft alarm having switch actuated by motor clamp

ABSTRACT

An outboard motor theft alarm system having a switch placed in a transom of a boat which switch is activated by pressing and releasing an extended member. The switch is located directly in front of the outboard motor clamps which depress the switch which switch is connected to an alarm system or to a transmitter transmitting to a receiver with an alarm system so that when enabled, any attempt to loosen the outboard motor clamps will set off the alarm.

United States Patent Wise [54] OUTBOARD MOTOR THEFT ALARM HAVING SWITCH ACTUATED BY MOTOR CLAMP [72] lnventor: George G. Wise, I207 Lakeshore Blvd, R0. Box 798, Tavares, Fla. 32778 [22] Filed: June 28, 1971 [21] App]. No.: [55,849

[52] US. Cl ..340/275 R, 340/421 R, 343/225 R [5]] Int. Cl. ..H04q 1/44, G08b 7/00, G08b 19/00 51 Oct. 3, 1972 Primary Examinerl-larold l. Pitts Attorney-Robert W. Ducltworth et al.

[ ABSTRACT An outboard motor theft alarm system having a switch placed in a transom of a boat which switch is activated by pressing and releasing an extended member. The switch is located directly in front of the outboard motor clamps which depress the switch which switch is connected to an alarm system or to a transmitter transmitting to a receiver with an alarm system so that when enabled, any attempt to loosen the outboard motor clamps will set off the alarm.

5a Field at Search ..340/275 R, 421 R [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,644,920 2/1912 Cartledge ..340/27s x L8SSR ALARM TO PowER 26 SUPPLY PATENIEnw 3 m2 FlG.l

TO BOAT TO POWER SUPPLY ,30 SWITCH m BOAT TRANSOM DISABLING SWITCH ALARM 24 SYSTEM FIG.2

POWER 4| 4"/\ POWER SUPPLY SUPPLY 42 40 43 44 45 v 46 msAauNc SWlTCH ALARM m BOAT osc. TRANSMlTTER RECEIVER- SWITCH TRANSOM SYSTEM FIG. 3

INVENTOR.

GEORGE G.WISE BY ATTORNEYS.

OUTBOARD MOTOR THEFT ALARM HAVING SWITCH ACTUATED BY MOTOR CLAMP BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to alarm systems for use in connection with outboard motor driven boats for protection against the theft of an outboard motor from the boat.

In the past it has been common to utilize a great variety of burglar alarms for the prevention of burglars and thieves from breaking and entering and removing various objects of value. Many of these devices provide a warning against a person breaking into a building such as a house. Another common type of burglar alarm is directed toward preventing theft of an automobile. One common type of door and window burglar alarm system has switches which are held in one position by the closing of a door or window and upon release by opening a window or door activate an alarm. Similarly, several types of systems have been provided for activating the horn of an automobile or similar sound alarm upon the opening of an automobile door without the key or starting of the motor in an unauthorized manner such as by crossing wires in the automobile. One such device sounds an alarm upon removing the gas tank cover.

In recent years, pleasure boating of all types has increased substantially and one common type of boat provides outboard motors attached to the transom for propelling the boat through the water. These motors which are commonly clamped to the transom of the boat may be easily removed from the boat for storage, cleaning and repair but are frequently left upon the boats for long periods when not in use, especially when the boat is kept at a person s home or a marina and very large outboard motors are more difficult to remove from the boat because of their bulk and weight. This has resulted in a wave of outboard motor thefts by persons identifying boats having motors thereon, which may be accomplished by riding in a boat around a lake, or the like, identifying the location of motors kept on boats and returning late at night to remove the motors which are simply unclamped from the boats, which may be done quietly without the owners, even when nearby, being aware that the motor is being removed. One system to try and prevent this has provided for a chain and lock system for locking a chain from the motor to the boat, but inasmuch as chains can be rapidly and quietly sawed, this has not prevented such thefts from taking place.

The present invention has as one of its principal objects an outboard motor alarm system for advising owners, or neighbors, or the like, that an outboard motor is removed from a boat, which removal has not been authorized. The system may be made to actuate a sound alarm or lights to scare the potential thieves away and to advise nearby persons of the theft taking place. The system also has as one of its advantages a system which can warn of the theft taking place in a manner that the thief is unaware of the warning, thus allowing the thief to be apprehended.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to burglar alarm systems and especially to an outboard motor theft alarm system which has a switch located in a transom of a boat in a position for alignment with outboard motor clamps, when an outboard motor is attached to the boat transom. The switch can be depressed which opens the switch preventing the completion of an electrical circuit, and which isspring-biased to this position and which can be closed to complete the electrical circuit by releasing a protrusion from the switch when loosening the outboard motor clamps. The switch is connected to an alarm such as a boat horn or separate alarm system, and provides a disabling switch which may be operated by a key to disable the system for the authorized removal of the outboard motor. The system may also be connected to floodlights in the area and may have dual switches, one for each clamp of an outboard motor, or for more than one motor placed on a transom.

The present invention also provides for the switch to be connected to an oscillator and transmitter so that when the switch is closed the oscillator begins oscillation which is transmitted to a nearby receiver, which is in turn connected to an alarm system which may be similar to the previous alarm system switching on floodlights, horns, or the like, or can be an alarm adapted for warning of a theft without warning the thief that the alarm has been actuated.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Other objects, features and advantages of this invention will be apparent from a study of the written description and the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a sectional view with portions cut away of the present system placed in operation; in

FIG. 2 illustrates a block diagram of electrical circuit for use with the present invention; and

FIG. 3 illustrates block diagram of a sound embodiment of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring now to FIG. 1 of the drawings, there can be seen an outboard motor 10 having a shaft 11 and propellor l2 and a transom attaching bracket 13. Transom bracket 13 has outboard motor clamps 14 which have handles 15 and threaded members 16 threaded through the bracket 13 and rotatably engaging the transom engaging portions 17 of the clamp 14. A portion of a boat 18 is shown having a transom 20, which transom has a switch 21 which has been inserted in a drilled out portion 22 in the transom 20 and having an annular surface 23 on one end of the switch. A protruding switching member 24 extends from the main switch body. A pair of electrical conductors 25 and 26 lead from the switch and may ideally be connected to the front of the switch so that the switch may be either attached to existing boats by drilling a hole of a predetermined size, a predetermined depth in the transom 20, placing the main portion of the switch 21 in the drilled hole and anchoring it such as by gluing or attaching with small screws. Switch 21 must be lined up with the position that the outboard motor 10 clamps 14 will tighten onto the transom 20 so that clamps l4 clamping surfaces 17 will engage the protruding portion of the switch pushing it into the main switch body. The electrical conductor 26 is connected to a disabling switch 27 which is operated by key 28 and disables the alarm system by breaking the circuit in the conductor 26. The conductor 26 is connected to a power supply while the conductor 25 is connected to an alarm such as the boat's horn or other electrically actuated alarm device. The switch 17, having its protruding member depressed, will open the switch and prevent a completed circuit from the conductor 25 to 26 but when the clamps 14 are loosened for removing the motor 10, the biased protruding portion of the switch 21 will begin to extend, closing the switch and completing the circuit between conductors 25 and 26 and thus actuating the alarm, provided the disabling switch 27 has not been opened. The lines 25 and 26 can of course be hidden or built into the boat in a manner that they cannot be easily severed and the unit be provided with its own power supply if desired.

FIG. 2 more clearly illustrates the operation of the system having the switch 21 with the protruding portion 24 in its extended position having the annular ledge 23 for use in anchoring the switch in the transom 20. The conductor 26 connects to the front of the switch 21 and also to the disabling switch 27 having the key 28 therein which is connected to the power supply 30, while the conductor 25 is connected to an alarm system 31 which can be an audible alarm such as a horn but which can also be a lighted alarm such as floodlights. The alarm system would of course either be grounded or connected back to the power supply 30.

Turning now to FIG. 3, a block diagram of an alternate embodiment is illustrated in which the transom switch 40 is illustrated connected from a power supply 4! through a disabling switch 42 to an oscillator 43. Activating the transom boat switch 40 by loosening the clamps of the outboard motor of FIG. 1 will actuate the oscillator 43 and transmitter 44 so that the transmitter will transmit the signal generated by the oscillator 43 on a predetermined frequency. A receiver 45 is set to operate on the same frequency as the transmitter 44 and will receive the signal from the oscillator 43 which in turn activates an alarm 46 which can be an audible alarm adapted to be heard by the person removing the motor, if desired. The receiver 45 has a power supply 47, and may use solid state electronics, such as integrated circuits, and thereby becomes relatively inexpensive and is sufficiently small that the entire boat unit can be placed in the transom of the boat or in the outboard motors themselves for operation in connection with the transoms. Similarly, the transmitter and receiver can operate on a very small amount of power and inasmuch as the transmitter and receiver are operating on single frequencies at very short ranges,

they are adapted to operate on a similar principle to transmitter systems utilized for opening garage doors or for switching channels in television sets remotely.

It should be clear at this point that an outboard motor burglar alarm system has been provided in which two embodiments have been illustrated. It should be clear, however, that other embodiments are anticipated, such as utilizing another signal source in place of the oscillator 43, without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Another an ticipated embodiment would provide for a small switch not requiring a hole to be drilled in the transom of the boat.

Accordingly, this invention is not to be construed as limited to the particular forms disclosed herein since these are to be regarded as illustrative rather than restrictive.

lclaim:

1. An outboard motor thief alarm system comprising in combination: switching means located on the transom of a boat in a predetennined position for alignment with outboard motor clamp means when an outboard motor is attached to said boat transom, said switch means having an open position blocking an elec trical connection therethrough and a closed position providing an electrical connection therethrough, said switch means being biased toward its open position and having means to move said switch means from its open to its closed position; alarm means connected to said switch means for actuation by said switch means when said switch means is in a closed position; and disabling means for disabling said alarms circuit to prevent actuation by said switch means in its closed position; said outboard motor clamp means being adapted to hold said switch means in its open position when said outboard motor is clamped to said boat transom and to release said switch means to its closed position when said clamps are loosened from said transom whereby said alarm means is actuated by loosening said clamp means.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 in which said alarm means is the boats horn.

3. The apparatus according to claim 5 in which said switch means includes two switches, one located under each of two clamps of an outboard motor.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1 in which said switching means is located in an opening in said transom of said boat.

5. An outboard motor thief alarm system comprising in combination: switching means located on the transom of a boat in a predetermined position for alignment with outboard motor clamp means when an outboard motor is attached to said boat transom, said switch means having an open position blocking an electrical connection therethrough and a closed position providing an electrical connection therethrough, said switch means biased toward its open position and having means to move said switch means from its open to its closed position; transmission means connected to said switching means for transmitting a signal when said switching means is moved from its open to its closed position; receiving means for receiving a transmitted signal from said transmission means and alarm means connected to said receiver means, said alarm being actuated by said receiving means upon said receiving means receiving a signal from said transmission means whereby said alarm may be actuated from a remote location from said switching means by said switch means being moved to its closed position.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5 in which said transmission means includes oscillation means for generating an oscillating signal over said transmission means when actuated by said switching means.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6 including a disabling means connected to said switching means for disabling said transmission means.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7 in which said switching means includes two switches, one located under each of two clamps of the outboard motor.

9. The apparatus according to claim 6 in which said alarm means includes lighting means for lighting the area of said boat motor.

a a 1- a 

1. An outboard motor thief alarm system comprising in combination: switching means located on the transom of a boat in a predetermined position for alignment with outboard motor clamp means when an outboard motor is attached to said boat transom, said switch means having an open position blocking an electrical connection therethrough and a closed position providing an electrical connection therethrough, said switch means being biased toward its open position and having means to move said switch means from its open to its closed position; alarm means connected to said switch means for actuation by said switch means when said switch means is in a closed position; and disabling means for disabling said alarms circuit to prevent actuation by said switch means in its closed position; said outboard motor clamp means being adapted to hold said switch means in its open position when said outboard motor is clamped to said boat transom and to release said switch means to its closed position when said clamps are loosened from said transom whereby said alarm means is actuated by loosening said clamp means.
 2. The apparatus according to claim 1 in which said alarm means is the boat''s horn.
 3. The apparatus according to claim 5 in which said switch means includes two switches, one locaTed under each of two clamps of an outboard motor.
 4. The apparatus according to claim 1 in which said switching means is located in an opening in said transom of said boat.
 5. An outboard motor thief alarm system comprising in combination: switching means located on the transom of a boat in a predetermined position for alignment with outboard motor clamp means when an outboard motor is attached to said boat transom, said switch means having an open position blocking an electrical connection therethrough and a closed position providing an electrical connection therethrough, said switch means biased toward its open position and having means to move said switch means from its open to its closed position; transmission means connected to said switching means for transmitting a signal when said switching means is moved from its open to its closed position; receiving means for receiving a transmitted signal from said transmission means and alarm means connected to said receiver means, said alarm being actuated by said receiving means upon said receiving means receiving a signal from said transmission means whereby said alarm may be actuated from a remote location from said switching means by said switch means being moved to its closed position.
 6. The apparatus according to claim 5 in which said transmission means includes oscillation means for generating an oscillating signal over said transmission means when actuated by said switching means.
 7. The apparatus according to claim 6 including a disabling means connected to said switching means for disabling said transmission means.
 8. The apparatus according to claim 7 in which said switching means includes two switches, one located under each of two clamps of the outboard motor.
 9. The apparatus according to claim 6 in which said alarm means includes lighting means for lighting the area of said boat motor. 